Exploring Physical and Social Wellness of High School Students in Suva, Fiji

BACKGROUND: Given the characteristics of the adolescence life stage, the physical and social wellness dimensions remain a challenge. The aim of this study was to determine adolescent perceptions of physical and social wellness in secondary schools in Fiji.

MATERIALS & METHODS: Four purposively selected secondary schools in Suva, Fiji were part of this qualitative cross sectional study in 2019. Fijian students enrolled into years 11 to 13 in the selected schools were invited to participate. Participants were purposively sampled. Data was collected using a structured self-administered questionnaire. Descriptive statistics were generated through the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences software version 25.

RESULTS: A total of 350 high school students, with the mean age of 17.5 (SD = ±0.9), participated in the study. The majority (48%) had very high scores for physical wellness and a fifth of the participants (28%) had low scores. In terms of social wellness, about a third (28.9%) scored low whilst the majority (40.3%) had high scores of social wellness.

CONCLUSION: This study adds to the pool of knowledge for wellness increases chances of improvement in adolescent program development specifically in terms of physical and social wellness. Appropriate interventions are recommended to improve physical and social wellness in high school students in Fiji.